Re: Inconsistent and strange NPE when initializing Velocity

None explicitly specified.

I looked at a default velocity properties that's in our project but that
we're not using:

velocimacro.library = VM_global_library.vm
velocimacro.permissions.allow.inline = true
velocimacro.permissions.allow.inline.to.replace.global = false
velocimacro.permissions.allow.inline.local.scope = false
velocimacro.context.localscope = false

I'm guessing this has something to do with these things being scoped
globally by default or something?
On Wed, Jun 27, 2012 at 12:39 PM, Nathan Bubna <[email protected]> wrote:

> What are the macro settings in your velocity.properties?
>
> On Mon, Jun 25, 2012 at 7:40 PM, Bradley Wagner
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> > We're noticing something now that may or may not be related to our change
> > to only use a single instance of the Velocity Engine.
> >
> > Macros that we define in one template seem to be sticking around and
> being
> > used when we go to merge or evaluate a different template.
> >
> > Is this possible related and to be expected when using a single instance
> of
> > the VelocityEngine?
> >
> > On Thu, Jun 7, 2012 at 5:28 PM, Bradley Wagner <
> > [email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >> Thanks Will. We'll make sure to just initialize it once.
> >>
> >>
> >> On Thu, Jun 7, 2012 at 3:36 PM, Will Glass-Husain <
> [email protected]>wrote:
> >>
> >>> Hi,
> >>>
> >>> You should use either the Velocity static calls or the VelocityEngine
> but
> >>> not both-- it's confusing.  They don't technically interfere with each
> >>> other, but it'll be simpler and less error prone not to mix.
> >>>
> >>> It's also a performance hit to continually reinitialize Velocity.
>  There's
> >>> no need to do this every time you process a page.  Besides the cost of
> >>> initialization, it also prevents you from doing any caching.
> >>>
> >>> Here's the general pattern
> >>> * On app start up, initialize a VelocityEngine.  Store it somewhere.
> >>> * Every time you need to process a template
> >>>     --> get the template
> >>>     --> create and populate a context
> >>>     --> using the velocity engine, merge the template (with the
> context)
> >>>
> >>> WILL
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On Thu, Jun 7, 2012 at 8:26 AM, Bradley Wagner <
> >>> [email protected]> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> > Thanks Will.
> >>> >
> >>> > So looking over the developer documentation about initialization and
> our
> >>> > code, it looks like we're using a mix of the Singleton Velocity
> Engine
> >>> and
> >>> > Separate Instances in certain cases. However, in all these cases,
> we're
> >>> > using the same set of properties. The documentation suggests that the
> >>> > Separate Instance method is the newer way to do it, but you're saying
> >>> that
> >>> > if we can get away with initializing Velocity one using
> Velocity.init()
> >>> we
> >>> > should do that for better performance, yes? Are both mechanisms for
> >>> > evaluating templates thread-safe?
> >>> >
> >>> > In one place we're doing:
> >>> >
> >>> > VelocityContext context = new VelocityContext(contextMap)
> >>> > Properties props = VelocityProperties.getProperties();
> >>> > Velocity.init(props);
> >>> > String templatePath =
> VelocityTemplates.getTemplatePath(templateName);
> >>> > Template template = Velocity.getTemplate(templatePath);
> >>> > StringWriter writer = new StringWriter();
> >>> > template.merge(context, writer);
> >>> > return writer.toString();
> >>> >
> >>> > and in another we're doing:
> >>> >
> >>> > VelocityEngine engine = new VelocityEngine();
> >>> > Properties velocityProps = VelocityProperties.getProperties();
> >>> > engine.init(velocityProps);
> >>> >
> >>> > // Get a template as stream.
> >>> > StringWriter writer = new StringWriter();
> >>> > StringReader reader = new StringReader(template);
> >>> > // create a temporary template name
> >>> > String tempTemplateName = "velocityTransform-" +
> >>> > System.currentTimeMillis();
> >>> >
> >>> > // ask Velocity to evaluate it.
> >>> > boolean result = engine.evaluate(context, writer, tempTemplateName,
> >>> > reader);
> >>> >
> >>> > String strResult = null;
> >>> > if (result)
> >>> > {
> >>> >    strResult = writer.getBuffer().toString();
> >>> > }
> >>> > return strResult;
> >>> >
> >>> > Thanks a bunch for your help!
> >>> >
> >>> > On Wed, Jun 6, 2012 at 6:34 PM, Will Glass-Husain <
> >>> [email protected]>
> >>> > wrote:
> >>> > >
> >>> > > You only need to initialize Velocity once.  Performance is much
> better
> >>> > that
> >>> > > way.
> >>> > >
> >>> > > WILL
> >>> > >
> >>> > > On Wed, Jun 6, 2012 at 2:37 PM, Bradley Wagner <
> >>> > > [email protected]> wrote:
> >>> > >
> >>> > > > The odd part about that is that while I could see this being a
> race
> >>> > > > condition... once Velocity gets into this state it doesn't matter
> >>> how
> >>> > many
> >>> > > > times we call Velocity.init, it returns the NPE every time. I
> guess
> >>> I
> >>> > > > should have mentioned that in the original post. Basically once
> it
> >>> > starts
> >>> > > > returning NPE our only recourse is to restart Tomcat, which fixes
> >>> the
> >>> > > > problem, until  it pops up again.
> >>> > > >
> >>> > > > On Wed, Jun 6, 2012 at 5:35 PM, Bradley Wagner <
> >>> > > > [email protected]> wrote:
> >>> > > >
> >>> > > > > Ha, that's a good question. Yes, we're initializing Velocity
> LOTS
> >>> of
> >>> > > > > times. Basically every time we use it to create these messages
> in
> >>> our
> >>> > > > > message util. I'm guessing that's not recommended?
> >>> > > > >
> >>> > > > >
> >>> > > > > On Wed, Jun 6, 2012 at 1:53 PM, Will Glass-Husain <
> >>> > > > [email protected]>wrote:
> >>> > > > >
> >>> > > > >> Hi Bradley,
> >>> > > > >>
> >>> > > > >> Are you initializing Velocity multiple times?
> >>> > > > >>
> >>> > > > >> Though I haven't heard of this issue before, it sounds like a
> >>> race
> >>> > > > >> condition, perhaps if the initialization is called twice at
> the
> >>> same
> >>> > > > time.
> >>> > > > >>
> >>> > > > >> WILL
> >>> > > > >>
> >>> > > > >> On Wed, Jun 6, 2012 at 8:37 AM, Bradley Wagner <
> >>> > > > >> [email protected]> wrote:
> >>> > > > >>
> >>> > > > >> > Hi,
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >> > I sent this message before I had subscribed to the list so I
> >>> > wasn't
> >>> > > > >> sure if
> >>> > > > >> > the original made it. My apologies if this is a duplicate.
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >> > One of our clients running our software is *occasionally*
> >>> running
> >>> > into
> >>> > > > >> the
> >>> > > > >> > stack trace at the bottom when Velocity is initialized. A
> >>> restart
> >>> > > > tends
> >>> > > > >> to
> >>> > > > >> > fix this problem. But it pops back up after running the
> system
> >>> for
> >>> > a
> >>> > > > >> while.
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >> > They're running:
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >> >   - Velocity 1.7
> >>> > > > >> >   - Tomcat 6.0.35
> >>> > > > >> >   - Using the 3.2 of the Apache Commons Collections library
> >>> > > > >> >   - Running Java 1.6.0_31 in Mac OS X 10.6.8
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >> > Unfortunately we don't have the ability to debug this
> problem
> >>> > > > remotely,
> >>> > > > >> so
> >>> > > > >> > we can't see exactly what's going on, but having looked a
> bit
> >>> at
> >>> > the
> >>> > > > >> > Extended Properties class, it doesn't seem like it should be
> >>> > possible
> >>> > > > to
> >>> > > > >> > get an NPE at that line, because of the containsKey() check
> a
> >>> few
> >>> > > > lines
> >>> > > > >> > before.
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >> > java.lang.NullPointerException
> >>> > > > >> > at
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >>
> >>> > > >
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>>
> org.apache.commons.collections.ExtendedProperties.clearProperty(ExtendedProperties.java:797)
> >>> > > > >> > at
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >>
> >>> > > >
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>>
> org.apache.commons.collections.ExtendedProperties.setProperty(ExtendedProperties.java:722)
> >>> > > > >> > at
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >>
> >>> > > >
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>>
> org.apache.commons.collections.ExtendedProperties.combine(ExtendedProperties.java:783)
> >>> > > > >> > at
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >>
> >>> > > >
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>>
> org.apache.velocity.runtime.RuntimeInstance.setProperties(RuntimeInstance.java:657)
> >>> > > > >> > at
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >>
> >>> > > >
> >>> >
> >>>
> org.apache.velocity.runtime.RuntimeInstance.init(RuntimeInstance.java:645)
> >>> > > > >> > at
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >>
> >>> > > >
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>>
> org.apache.velocity.runtime.RuntimeSingleton.init(RuntimeSingleton.java:226)
> >>> > > > >> > at org.apache.velocity.app.Velocity.init(Velocity.java:97)
> >>> > > > >> > at
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >>
> >>> > > >
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>>
> com.hannonhill.cascade.velocity.VelocityEngineUtil.generateMessage(VelocityEngineUtil.java:66)
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >> > Also, here's the code that's calling the Velocity.init:
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >> >        Properties velocityProps =
> >>> > VelocityProperties.getProperties();
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >> >        Velocity.init(velocityProps);
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >> > Velocity Properties are just loading the following file
> >>> contents
> >>> > into
> >>> > > > a
> >>> > > > >> > properties object:
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >>
> >>> > > >
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>>
> #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>> > > > >> > # This controls if Runtime.error(), info() and warn()
> messages
> >>> > include
> >>> > > > >> the
> >>> > > > >> > # whole stack trace. The last property controls whether
> invalid
> >>> > > > >> references
> >>> > > > >> > # are logged.
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >>
> >>> > > >
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>>
> #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>> > > > >> > runtime.log.error.stacktrace = false
> >>> > > > >> > runtime.log.warn.stacktrace = false
> >>> > > > >> > runtime.log.info.stacktrace = false
> >>> > > > >> > runtime.log.invalid.reference = true
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >>
> >>> > > >
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>>
> #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>> > > > >> > # Configuration for the Log4JLogSystem.
> >>> > > > >> > # You must define the runtime.log.logsystem.class property
> to
> >>> be:
> >>> > > > >> > #   org.apache.velocity.runtime.log.Log4JLogSystem
> >>> > > > >> > #
> >>> > > > >> > # You must also include Log4J's .jar files into your
> classpath.
> >>> > They
> >>> > > > are
> >>> > > > >> > # included with the Velocity distribution in the build/lib
> >>> > directory.
> >>> > > > >> > #
> >>> > > > >> > # There are several different options that you can
> configure.
> >>> > > > >> > # Uncomment the ones that you want and also define their
> >>> settings.
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >>
> >>> > > >
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>>
> #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >>
> >>> > > >
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>>
> #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>> > > > >> > # T E M P L A T E  E N C O D I N G
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >>
> >>> > > >
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>>
> #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>> > > > >> > input.encoding=UTF-8
> >>> > > > >> > output.encoding=UTF-8
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >>
> >>> > > >
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>>
> #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>> > > > >> > # F O R E A C H  P R O P E R T I E S
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >>
> >>> > > >
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>>
> #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>> > > > >> > # These properties control how the counter is accessed in
> the
> >>> > #foreach
> >>> > > > >> > # directive. By default the reference $velocityCount will be
> >>> > available
> >>> > > > >> > # in the body of the #foreach directive. The default
> starting
> >>> > value
> >>> > > > >> > # for this reference is 1.
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >>
> >>> > > >
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>>
> #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>> > > > >> > directive.foreach.counter.name = velocityCount
> >>> > > > >> > directive.foreach.counter.initial.value = 1
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >>
> >>> > > >
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>>
> #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>> > > > >> > # T E M P L A T E  L O A D E R S
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >>
> >>> > > >
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>>
> #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>> > > > >> > resource.loader = class
> >>> > > > >> > class.resource.loader.description = Velocity Classpath
> Resource
> >>> > Loader
> >>> > > > >> > class.resource.loader.class =
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > org.apache.velocity.runtime.resource.loader.ClasspathResourceLoader
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >>
> >>> > > > >
> >>> > > > >
> >>> > > >
> >>> >
> >>>
> >>
> >>
>
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